Written Answers Tuesday 13 May 2008

Scottish Executive

Alcohol Misuse

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being taken to carry out alcohol screening in accident and emergency departments to increase access to intervention and treatment.

Shona Robison: Almost £25 million has been made available to NHS boards in 2008-09 specifically for tackling alcohol misuse. We have made it clear that first call on this funding is to implement screening for alcohol misuse and delivery of brief interventions where appropriate, in line with a new NHS target. Priority areas are primary care, emergency departments and antenatal care.

Ambulance Service

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many rapid response vehicles staffed by a single paramedic have been in use in the Ayrshire and Arran NHS board area in each of the last five years.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many double-crewed ambulances have been in service in the Ayrshire and Arran NHS board area in each of the last five years.

Shona Robison: The information requested is not available by NHS board area.

  However, the total numbers of all categories of accident and emergency vehicles for the south west operating division, which comprises Ayrshire and Arran and Dumfries and Galloway, are set out in the following table.

  

 Financial Year
 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07
 2007-08


 Accident and Emergency Units
 105
 107
 106
 103
 97


 Rapid Response Vehicles
 1
 8
 8
 9
 10


 2nd Responder
 0
 4
 3
 3
 3


 Island Vehicle
 0
 0
 0
 0
 5


 Total
 106
 119
 117
 115
 115



  Note: *Information provided by the Scottish Ambulance Service.

  Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing last met the Scottish Ambulance Service to discuss the provision of ambulance services in Ayrshire and Arran.

Shona Robison: The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing met the board of the Scottish Ambulance Service on 30 January 2008. A range of issues were discussed.

  Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on any proposals by the Scottish Ambulance Service to withdraw double-crewed ambulances from service and replace them with rapid response vehicles staffed by a single paramedic.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Government supports the work the Scottish Ambulance Service has undertaken to benchmark its operational practices against those adopted by other UK ambulance services. The greater use of rapid response vehicles represents the decision of the Scottish Ambulance Service board to adopt what is known as the "front loaded model".

  We welcome the more recent improvements the ambulance service has made to the performance of the emergency service, particularly in relation to category A life threatening calls.

  Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what cost savings would be gained by replacing a double-crewed ambulance with a single-crewed rapid response vehicle.

Shona Robison: The proposed adjustments to the emergency fleet mix will enable the Scottish Ambulance Service to deploy an extra 30 emergency vehicles across Scotland in 2008-09. Changes to the fleet mix are not about achieving savings, rather they will enable the service to further improve the responsiveness of the service it offers for those people who most need it.

  Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what mileage rate were payable to volunteer drivers who took patients to health-related appointments in each year since 1997 in (a) cash and (b) real terms and when these rates will be reviewed.

Shona Robison: Mileage rates payable by the Scottish Ambulance Service to volunteer drivers are set out in the following table.

  Ambulance Car Service Mileage Rates (Pence per Mile) Cash and in Real Terms Using April 1997 as a Base and Retail Price Index (CBZW) Series

  

 
Cash Rate
 
Real Terms Rate


Up to
Over
RPI
Up to
Over


1500cc
1500cc
(CBZW)
1500cc
1500cc


April 1997
29.0
35.0
150.8
29.0
35.0


April 1998
29.0
35.0
154.1
28.4
34.3


April 1999
29.0
35.0
156.9
27.9
33.6


April 2000
29.0
35.0
159.4
27.4
33.1


April 2001
30.5
36.9
162.9
28.2
34.2


April 2002
30.5
36.9
166.9
27.6
33.3


April 2003
30.5
36.9
171.8
26.8
32.4


April 2004
30.5
36.9
174.9
26.3
31.8


April 2005
30.5
36.9
179.0
25.7
31.1


April 2006
30.5
36.9
183.2
25.1
30.4


April 2007
30.5
36.9
190.0
24.2
29.3


April 2008
30.5
36.9
196.3
23.4
28.3



  Note: *Information provided by the Scottish Ambulance Service

  The Scottish Ambulance Service has recently reviewed the mileage allowance as part of its annual budget setting process and has no plans to increase the rate payable. However, the service was asked to look again at this matter, and have confirmed that they will now be reviewing the rates on a monthly basis to ensure that costs continue to be covered.

  We understand that some other NHS boards may use volunteer drivers and are aware that they also indirectly support initiatives involving community transport schemes. Information on mileage rates paid are not held centrally.

  Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many volunteer drivers are utilised by the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS), broken down by (a) NHS board, (b) local authority and (c) SAS division area.

Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-10473 on 10 March 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

  Numbers of volunteer ambulance car drivers are not recorded by local authority or SAS division area.

  Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what training the Scottish Ambulance Service provides to volunteer ambulance drivers.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Ambulance Service does not currently provide training for voluntary ambulance car drivers but does plan to do so in the future.

  Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive under what circumstances volunteer ambulance drivers are used by the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Shona Robison: Volunteer ambulance car drivers are used to convey patients where the patient’s medical condition impacts on their mobility to such an extent that they would be unable to access health care and/or it would be detrimental to the patient’s condition or recovery to travel by other means.

  This would include people who have reduced mobility or frail health which renders them unable to travel by public transport, who do not have access to private transport, and who do not need the full service provided by a patient transport ambulance and crew.

  Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many single-staffed rapid response vehicles have been in use in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area in each of the last five years.

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many double-crewed ambulances have been in service in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area in each of the last five years.

Shona Robison: The information requested is not available by NHS board area.

  However, the total numbers of all categories of accident and emergency vehicles for the west central operating division, which comprises NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Lanarkshire, are out in the following table.

  

 Financial Year
 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07
 2007-08


 Accident and Emergency Units
 94
 94
 94
 92
 84


 Rapid Response Vehicles
 14
 15
 17
 19
 19


 2nd Responder
 0
 0
 0
 0
 1


 Mid-tier unit
 0
 0
 2
 11
 13


 Motorbike
 0
 0
 0
 0
 2


Neo-natal/ Specialist Accident and Emergency Unit
 2
 2
 3
 3
 3


 Total
 110
 111
 116
 125
 122



  Note: *Information provided by the Scottish Ambulance Service

Autism

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost was of delivering services for (a) children and (b) adults with (i) high-functioning and (ii) low-functioning autistic spectrum disorder in each year since 1980.

Shona Robison: Information on the costs of health services treating specific conditions or diseases is not available centrally. Information on the costs of delivering other services such as social care or housing is not held centrally.

  Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimate is of the average lifetime cost of delivering services to an individual with (i) high-functioning and (ii) low-functioning autistic spectrum disorder.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Government has not estimated the average lifetime cost of delivering services to any particular client group, including autism spectrum disorder. UK research has estimated that the lifetime cost to society for someone with autism to be between £2.9 million for someone with high-functioning autism and £4.7 million for someone with low-functioning autism. These costs are not limited to the delivery of services funded by the state.

  Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals have been identified as having (a) high-functioning and (b) low-functioning autistic spectrum disorder in each year since 1980.

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many adults with (a) high-functioning and (b) low-functioning autistic spectrum disorder are living in (i) private households, (ii) residential care or (iii) hospital.

Shona Robison: People with autism spectrum disorder are most likely to be diagnosed in an out-patient clinic and managed in the community or general practice. Diagnostic information for patients attending out-patient clinics is not available centrally.

  Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the estimated number of undiagnosed cases of autistic spectrum disorder.

Shona Robison: Estimated prevalence figures are detailed in the recent guidance for commissioners of services for people with autism spectrum disorder, published by the Scottish Government at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/03/27085247/0.

  These figures are based on the prevalence rate of 0.9% from the Office of National Statistics survey of the mental health of children and young people in Britain (Green et al, 2005).

Council Tax

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average earnings are of working students (a) exempt and (b) not exempt from council tax.

Fiona Hyslop: This information is not held centrally.

Credit Unions

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support it provides to credit unions.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government have committed £93 million direct investment by our third sector division over 2008-11. This will build capacity and sustainability in the third sector including credit unions.

  This underlines our commitment to the development of the third sector, including support for credit unions. We are currently designing the structure of the third sector development programme. Announcements regarding the shape, balance and application processes for these funds will be announced over the coming weeks and months.

  Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to replace or extend the Scottish Credit Union SGEI (Service of General Economic Interest) Fund.

John Swinney: The Scottish Credit Union SGEI (Service of General Economic Interest) Fund closed for applications in September 2006, however, compensatory payments will be made to credit unions until the end of financial year 2008-09.

  The Scottish Government have committed £93 million direct investment by our third sector division over 2008-11. This will build capacity and sustainability in the third sector including credit unions.

  Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to replace or extend the Scottish Credit Union Assistance Fund.

John Swinney: The Scottish Credit Union Assistance Fund closed for applications in December 2007. The Scottish Government have committed £93 million direct investment by our third sector division over 2008-11. This will build capacity and sustainability in the third sector including credit unions.

  This underlines our commitment to the development of the third sector, including support for credit unions. We are currently designing the structure of the third sector development programme. Announcements regarding the shape, balance and application processes for these funds will be announced over the coming weeks and months.

Debt Management

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive under what circumstances local authorities are able to make discretionary allowances to families who are struggling financially.

Stewart Maxwell: The power to advance wellbeing contained in section 20 of the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 allows local authorities to make payments to individuals or groups; this could include families and may include families who are struggling financially, depending on the whole circumstances of the case.

  Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authorities made discretionary allowances to families who were struggling in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority.

Stewart Maxwell: This is a matter for local authorities and the information is not held centrally.

  Margaret Curran (Glasgow Baillieston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will guarantee access to debt advice.

Stewart Maxwell: Debt advice is available from a wide range of providers, who offer a range of channels (face to face, telephone e-mail and web) to meet clients’ needs and preferred delivery methods.

  Local authorities are responsible for making free, local, money advice services available in a way appropriate to the needs of their area. The Scottish Government provides funding support through the local government settlement. The Scottish Government also part-funds National Debtline, the UK-wide telephone and e-mail service, to ensure that it can deliver debt advice which reflects specific Scottish differences, for example, in the legal system. We are supporting Citizens Advice Direct to extend its telephone and e-mail advice service, which includes debt advice, to cover the whole of Scotland.

  An active fee charging sector offers debt management solutions to those who can afford to pay, while the charities Scottish Debtline and Payplan offer both free advice and fee charging solutions.

Drug Misuse

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people aged (a) under 15, (b) 15 to 18, (c) 19 to 21 and (d) over 21 were admitted to Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary to be treated for drug misuse in (i) 2003-04, (ii) 2004-05, (iii) 2005-06, (iv) 2006-07 and (v) 2007-08.

Kenny MacAskill: Information on patients treated for drug misuse in Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary in 2007-08 is not currently available.

  Table 1 shows the number of patients discharged from NHS Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary with a drug misuse diagnosis between 2003-04 and 2006-07 for people aged (a) under 15, (b) 15 to 18, (c) 19 to 21 and (d) over 21.

  Table 1: The Number of Patients1 Discharged from Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary with a Drug-Related Diagnosis2,3, by Age Group4, 2003-04 to 2006-07P

  

 Age Groups
 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07P


 Under 15 years
 -
 1
 -
 -


 15-18 years
 4
 1
 3
 3


 19-21 years
 12
 10
 6
 10


 Over 21 years
 52
 52
 60
 61



  PProvisional.

  Source: ISD Scotland (SMR01).

  Notes:

  1. Excludes mental illness hospitals, psychiatric units and maternity hospitals and transfers.

  2. Diseases recorded using the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision (ICD10). Drug-related conditions: F11, F12, F13, F14, F15, F16, F18, F19.

  3. Excludes misuse of alcohol or tobacco.

  4. Age on admission.

  - denotes zero.

Education

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what special services are provided to children for whom English is not their first language enrolled in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools, broken down by local authority area.

Maureen Watt: Information on the full range of special services available is not held centrally. However, local authorities provide English as an additional language services and information on the number of teachers involved can be found at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/03/18093809/0.

  Education authorities have a duty under the Additional Support for Learning Act 2004 to identify, meet and keep under review the additional support needs of all pupils for whom English is an additional language.

Emergency Planning

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance been issued to residential schools on pandemic preparedness.

Maureen Watt: Guidance was issued to all local authority, independent and grant-aided schools in July 2006. Sections 2C of the guidance provided specific advice for boarding schools and secondary schools with hostels. It is available electronically at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/07/05121311/0.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to develop action plans for and the implementation of Healthy Working Lives in the NHS and wider public sector.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Government recognises the importance of promoting the health of those working in the public sector and the benefits for both the wellbeing of the individual and for improved efficiency and productivity for the employer.

  One hundred and forty-one NHS organisations and 28 local authorities already hold a Healthy Working Lives award or the predecessor Scotland’s health at work (SHAW) award. The Scottish Government is currently working towards acquiring the gold healthy working lives award.

  The award programme is run by the Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives and is funded by the Scottish Government through NHS Health Scotland. The Centre’s Healthy Working Lives advisers can provide employers with advice on good workplace policies that promote health and wellbeing, such as healthy eating, physical activity, tobacco cessation and mental wellbeing. The centre promotes the uptake of the award scheme widely across the public, private and third sectors.

  The Chief Executive of NHSScotland issued a letter to all NHS boards on 20 March 2008 (CEL 14 [2008]) on the role of the acute sector as a health promoting health service. Included in this is a requirement for all NHS board acute services to work towards acquiring a healthy working lives award, or a higher level of award where one is already held, as soon as possible.

  The Better Health, Better Care: Action Plan also sets out the Scottish Government’s commitment to ensuring safe and health-promoting environments, and to ensuring that all NHS boards, both as employers and as service providers, adopt existing good practice in working with community planning partners and employability services to enable people to work in a health promoting environment, retain work if ill, or return to work from illness or injury.

  Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many specialists dealing with food allergies and intolerances are employed in each NHS board.

Shona Robison: This information is not held centrally.

  Information from across NHS boards indicates that food allergies and intolerances are dealt with by many specialists including consultant dermatologists, immunologists, psychiatrists, gastroenterologists, dieticians, paediatricians with special interests and general practitioners with special interests. In addition there are also nurse specialists in place.

  Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what specialist treatment is available in the NHS for people suffering from food allergies or intolerances.

Shona Robison: Specialist investigations, such as skin testing and the investigation of specialist antibodies and immune cell function are carried out at consultant-led immunology and allergy services in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow which also take referrals from across Scotland.

Housing

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of all private sector housing developments with planning consents in the period from 2005 to 2007 included affordable housing agreements in some form.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of private sector housing developments with planning consents in the period from 2005 to 2007 included affordable housing agreements in some form, broken down by local authority.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of private sector housing developments of below 10 units with planning consents in the period from 2005 to 2007 included affordable housing agreements in some form and how many new affordable housing units these identified for each local authority.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of private sector housing developments of 10 to 19 units with planning consents in the period from 2005 to 2007 included affordable housing agreements in some form and how many new affordable housing units these identified for each local authority.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of private sector housing developments of 20 to 49 units with planning consents in the period from 2005 to 2007 included affordable housing agreements in some form and how many new affordable housing units these identified for each local authority.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of private sector housing developments of 50 units and above with planning consents in the period from 2005 to 2007 included affordable housing agreements in some form and how many new affordable housing units these identified for each local authority.

Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Government recently published information on the number of housing developments granted planning consent, where a private developer has agreed to make a contribution towards affordable housing. This official statistics publication (covering the 2005-07 financial years) is available on the Scottish Government website at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/04/25153806/0.

  Statistics on the total number of private sector housing developments granted planning consent are not held centrally. Hence the Scottish Government does not hold information on private contributions in the form requested.

  Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the £25 million incentive scheme for building council houses will be evenly spread over three years.

Stewart Maxwell: Our aim in making the £25 million available to incentivise new council house building is to ensure that our investment contributes to the delivery of as many new homes as possible. Decisions on how the money will be allocated will be reached following discussions with our partners in local government.

Justice

Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases were brought before Glasgow District Court on a custody basis and, of these, how many were (a) not called and (b) not proceeded with.

Kenny MacAskill: The information requested is not held centrally.

Mental Health

Margaret Curran (Glasgow Baillieston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many draft single outcome agreements address the provision of mental health services.

Shona Robison: We are currently in the process of agreeing single outcome agreements for 2008-09 with all 32 councils.

  We aim to complete this process by 30 June 2008 and, subject to agreement with councils, all finalised agreements will be made publicly available shortly thereafter.

  It would not be appropriate at this stage of the process to comment on specific areas of focus within individual agreements, but we expect single outcome agreements to reflect the priorities and agreed outcomes for each council and to include the relevant supporting indicators and targets.

Pharmacists

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in pharmacist prescribing.

Shona Robison: The commissioning of NHS services such as pharmacist prescribing services is a matter for the NHS boards who are best placed to assess local service and patient needs. There are currently approximately 90 such pharmacist prescribing services in place in Scotland.

  NHS National Education for Scotland funds training for pharmacist prescribing through Robert Gordon and Strathclyde Universities. The first courses for pharmacist supplementary prescribers began in 2003. Since 2006, changes to legislation enable pharmacists to train as independent prescribers. Conversion courses have been provided to allow supplementary prescribers to develop and convert their prescribing skills to become independent prescribers.

  The following table shows the total number of pharmacists who have trained as supplementary and independent prescribers and the number of pharmacists who have successfully completed and are undertaking the conversion course.

  

 Course
 Total


 Number of Pharmacists who have Completed the Supplementary Prescribing Course
 467


 Number of Pharmacists Currently Undertaking the Supplementary Prescribing Course
 105


 Number of Pharmacists who have Completed the Independent Prescribing Conversion Course
 96


 Number of Pharmacists Currently Undertaking the Independent Prescribing Conversion Course
 173



  Note: The data in the table has been provided by NHS Education for Scotland.

School Meals

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what targets it has set for the use of fair trade produce in school meals.

Adam Ingram: We have not set any targets for the use of fair trade products in school meals. As of 4 August 2008, under the Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Act 2007, education authorities and managers of grant-aided schools will have a duty to have regard to guidance issued by Scottish ministers on the application of the principles of sustainable development when providing food or drink or catering services in schools.

  The existing guidance, Integrating sustainable development into procurement of food and catering services, is available on the Scottish Government website at:

  www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/Procurement/PublicProcurement/ProcurementPolicy/coporate-responsibility/Integrationofsusdevinfood.

  The guidance contains advice on various sustainable development issues, including fair trade, and how to pursue these various issues whilst staying within EU procurement law. We are currently refreshing the guidance and intend to reissue it during the summer.

Schools

Hugh O'Donnell (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-5517 by Maureen Watt on 15 November 2007, how many schools it considers it will be necessary to (a) build, and (b) refurbish between May 2007 and May 2011 to match the previous administration’s planned school building programme brick for brick.

Maureen Watt: As indicated in the answer to question S3W-5517, our manifesto commitment was to match the previous Scottish Executive’s planned school building programme brick for brick, by supporting the investment plans which were in place prior to the election. We have done that.

  Since last May we have honoured all the previous offers of financial support for school PPP projects made by the former administration. In addition, under the terms of the concordat signed with COSLA in November 2007, almost £3 billion of capital resources is available to authorities over the three years from April 2008. That represents significant growth in the capital resources available to local authorities with an increase of £115 million capital in 2008-09 alone, for investment in schools and other infrastructure.

  We anticipate that, with the funding we have put in place, authorities will be enabled, in the context both of new build and refurbishment and through a range of funding mechanisms, to complete or have under construction around 250 schools during the current parliamentary period.

Sheltered Housing

Michael Matheson (Falkirk West) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to include sheltered housing complexes with the regulatory responsibilities of the Care Commission.

Shona Robison: The Care Commission does not regulate sheltered housing as such. It has however regulated services provided to people living in sheltered housing complexes since 1 April 2003. The National Care Standards for Housing Support Services set out what service users can expect from their service provider.

State Hospital Carstairs

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what contingency plans are in place in the event of industrial action by nurses at the State Hospital, Carstairs.

Shona Robison: The State Hospital has a business continuity plan in place to deal with the potential loss of staff at the hospital. It provides a high-level analysis for each of the key service processes that could affect the delivery of patient care and guidance to the hospital in regards to contingency arrangements for the loss of key staff and risk assessment of the critical processes and activities. The purpose of the plan is to ensure that staffing is available in all foreseeable circumstances in order that an acceptable level of patient care is maintained.

  Discussions are ongoing at the State Hospital with all concerned working towards mutually acceptable outcomes.

Student Finance

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many students did not take out loans to pay for the graduate endowment in each of the last three academic years, broken down by household income.

Fiona Hyslop: The following table shows the number of students who have chosen to pay their full graduate endowment in cash in each of the last three years.

  Decided to Pay Graduate Endowment in Full by Cash

  

 April 2005 Liability
 April 2006 Liability
 April 2007 Liability
 Total


 255
 2,690
 3,565
 6,515



  Data source: Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) as at 30 April 2008.

  Figures have been rounded to the nearest five.

  The figures shown in the table are provisional and subject to change as cases are processed. They do not include students who were liable for the graduate endowment as of April 2007 or earlier but have had their liability deferred whilst they undertake postgraduate study. Those who are currently in debt recovery, who have had their debt written off or who have chosen to pay part in cash part by loan are also excluded.

  Graduates who choose to pay their graduate endowment in full by cash are not required to give details of their household income therefore it is not possible to provide an income breakdown of the table.

  Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether students’ earned income will be assessed for providing support for (a) further and (b) higher education in the 2008-09 academic year and, if so, over what threshold.

Fiona Hyslop: The means test project paper which provides full details of the students’ income to be taken into account in higher education from 2008-09. This document has been published on the Scottish Government website at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Education/Funding-Support-Grants/FFL/PMB/Completed.

  Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people will benefit from changes to dependents grant eligibility from the 2008-09 academic year and by how much in total.

Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-10208 on 3 March 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

  Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will spend any savings from changes to the means test from the 2008-09 academic year for higher education students.

Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-10210 on 5 March 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

  Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much additional funding has been provided to ensure that continuing students do not face reduced financial support following changes to the means test for higher education students from the 2008-09 academic year; when such funding will be provided, and how it will be distributed.

Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-10214 on 5 March 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

  Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what publicity it has provided for its changes to the means test for higher education students from the 2008-09 academic year.

Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government has publicised details of the changes to the means test for higher education in a number of ways. These include:

  Full details of the changes are set out on the Scottish Government’s website with an accompanying press release, dated 15 February 2008: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Education/Funding-Support-Grants/FFL/PMB/Completed

  The Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) has also set out the changes in the administrators’ section and the main student section of their website at www.saas.gov.uk

  Details of the changes can also be found in the "Notes section" of the SAS3 application for support in 2008-09 as well as the SAS4 guide which is issued by SAAS to every student on receipt of their application for support.

  In February this year, SAAS wrote to all continuing students, their parents and spouses outlining details of the revised income assessment as well as all colleges, universities, Association of Scotland’s Colleges, Universities Scotland and the National Union of Students.

  SAAS also carried out two workshops for colleges and universities earlier this year and have taken part in approximately 90 open days to schools, colleges and universities between October last year to date.

  Publicity will continue throughout the rest of this year in the run up to the new academic session in 2008-09. We plan to carry on the dissemination process at (approximately) another 80 events up to the end of September, including the UK National Association of Student Money Advisors event in July.